Sweet Harmony and Cruel Death
by Fantasy's-Priestess
Summary: When Hermione steps in front of The Killing Curse for Harry, Harry's life is changed forever...But can it be true that love can beat everything...including death? Harmony -Character death!- Three-shot
1. The Beginning or Part 1

**Okay, I'm going to start off with a couple of warnings for this piece:**

**-It's **_**very **_**AU  
>-There is death!<br>-Some characters that are supposedly dead in the book are quite alive (like Fred and Tonks)**

**So be warned!**

**Oh, and this is a three-shot**

"Avada Kedavra!"

A sudden astonished silence filled the Great Hall as those words were muttered by none other than Harry Potter, the raven-haired Chosen One. His opponent was the insane Dark Lord himself, looking menacing with his wand up and cruel smile. But as of now the dark wizard's cruel smile had disappeared, and in its wake was a shocked gape.

The Killing Curse had hit its mark.

Many people surrounding the two gaped, and some even dared to gasp. The Dark Lord proceeded to fall slowly to his knees, a defeated look on his face. Students and Death Eaters alike continued to stare—some in shock, others in disbelief, and the rare few with hope. No one could actually _believe _that Voldemort—the wizard akin to fear itself—was on his knees, _defeated. _It was almost too thrilling (or soul-crushing) to believe.

But it was without a doubt true, because a few seconds after the curse had hit him, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named lie dead for all to see, shock eternally etched into his features.

People were afraid to breathe as they all looked on at the dead body of Lord Voldemort and at Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry's face was emotionless as he looked on at his enemy since birth. He looked as if even he couldn't believe that he did it. That everyone was finally safe after many painful years. But after a couple minutes of complete silence and shock, Harry Potter broke out into a small smile. Not a huge one, but a small smile nonetheless. He didn't look proud that he just killed someone, but he looked proud that everyone was out of danger (like the true martyr he was).

Slowly but surely other people also began to break out into smiles and even cheers. The excitement in the air slowly increased, until there was no other feeling in the room (except for the shock and/or denial from Voldemort's loyal followers). The Aurors and Professors who weren't caught up in the thrill that came with Voldemort's death were grabbing the Death Eaters that were still alive while they were caught up in disbelief. The Death Eaters who weren't already caught chose to try and flee...

All accept one.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood up shakily as she looked at her Dark Lord. She wanted to deny what had happened...for the first time in many, _many _years she actually felt tears wet her eyes. They came from the knot of misery in her stomach at losing her most merciful Lord, and at the thought of being thrown back in her own personal hell—_Azkaban_. She shuddered at the thought.

It was only when people began to cheer and clap around her did she realize that there was no room for denial or tears over her Lord.

All there was room for was revenge.

Anger quickly filled her veins like fire, scorching and burning up the only few sane and compassionate thoughts and feelings she had in her body. It filled her up until there was no room for tears, denial or any other thought or feelings...

Except one.

She suddenly wanted very badly to hurt someone. She wanted to rip someone to shreds. She wanted to torture and maim someone. She wanted to torture and then—and _then..._she wanted to _kill _someone!

...A certain someone.

She lifted her wand and spotted Baby Potter, the man who had killed her Dark Lord. Rage rushed through her, and almost unconsciously she began to whisper, "Avada—"

But it was then that Hermione Granger, one of the best friends and the lover of the Chosen One, saw what was about to happen. She saw Bellatrix was pointing her wand at Harry and whispering the Killing Curse. Panic quickly filled Hermione to the brim...so much she could barely contain it enough to think rationally. Hermione knew she had to act fast...Harry couldn't move in time and couldn't block it either...Bellatrix was too far away to tackle, and it was too late to cast a spell that could take Bellatrix's wand or distract her. Hermione knew if she didn't do _something _within a few seconds the love of her life was going to die. So she did the one thing that could save her best friend. She stood in front of him defiantly...

Right in the warpath of the Killing Curse

It was just then that Bellatrix finished uttering the spell and a flash of green light exploded from her wand. Thankfully by then Hermione was standing protectively in front of Harry. Harry on the other hand had just realized that Hermione was behind him. He turned around, expecting to see Hermione's open arms waiting to embrace him, lips ready to kiss his and a large smile on her face. He turned around...only to see the green light hit its mark.

It hit Hermione square in the chest.

Time had suddenly slowed for almost everyone in the Hall. They watched as Hermione's expression went from determined to a barely-hidden shock. Her mouth opened into a small 'o', and her eyes became dim. She began to collapse and crumble like Voldemort had done only minutes before, but when she was about to hit the floor two muscular arms grabbed her from behind. It was none other than the man she had saved, who was staring in shock at her as they both fell into a heap on the floor.

Every cheer had died and every smile had faded. Dead silence took place of the cheering and laughter from only a few seconds before. The scene had caught everyone's attention. They saw Harry clutching at a deadly-still Hermione, tears running down his face at a rapid pace. He was muttering incomplete sentences in the girl's ear, but Hermione showed no sign of hearing him. And from afar was a grinning Bellatrix Lestrange, who looked like she might just start to skip and sing.

The moment of silence was shattered instantly though when suddenly everything erupted into chaos.

Ron Weasley was running towards Harry and Hermione with tears forming; Bellatrix started to laugh like a small child; everyone was either crying or staring at the Golden Trio; Professors and Aurors that weren't already taking away Death Eaters began to surge forward to grab Bellatrix...

And finally, it began to rain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Celebrations that night weren't as bright as they should've been. The loss of so many people definitely put a damper on things. But they had a celebration anyways...to celebrate the lives of the dead, to celebrate this new golden age, to celebrate that they were finally (at least for that night) going to be free from the pain, the worry, and the suffering that had come when Voldemort came to power.

But at the celebrations that night (and many nights to come for that matter) there were many noticeable faces missing. Like the two living parts of the Trio, and the Weasley clan. And not to mention many mourning people.

That night while many people were happy and partying, Tonks, Harry, and the Weasley clan could be seen in the (large) room full of the dead. They were all gathered around a few bodies, but for the most part they were all mourning over three major losses: Hermione Granger, Charlie Weasley and Remus Lupin.

The three bodies looked as if they were just sleeping, but everyone knew better. It was a heartbreaking scene really to any onlooker. Tonks was bending over Lupin and her body was wracked with sobs. Ron and Ginny Weasley were both kneeling in between Charlie and Hermione, silent tears falling down their faces. Harry was in between Hermione and Lupin, a look of shock and dried tear-tracks still on his face. As for the rest of the Weasley clan, they were all on the sidelines, crying over all three losses (but mostly over Charlie's cold body).

It was as if a mist of pain and sadness had filled the room with no happy soul in sight. All there was was mourning people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of days passed since the Final Battle and life hadn't changed like everyone thought it would. Harry and his friends imagined that life would somehow..._brighter _after the war was over. People would be happy and smiling, no one would live in fear or pain...but nothing had changed. It was still raining outside, many people wore sad expressions, and there were funerals almost every other day.

Harry, the Wealsey clan, and anyone who had loved and cared for Hermione (and even some who didn't) went to a funeral for her just 8 days after her death. The funeral was large, because not only was Harry able to afford a massive one, but also because nobody would let her have a small one. Many people came. Even Draco Malfoy, childhood enemy for most of their lives, showed up and even looked mournful.

Those 3 hours that were spent beside Hermione's closed casket were of torture for Ron, Harry and Ginny.

They all thought they had dealt with their emotions and were ready for the funeral, but they weren't. None of them were. Many people were crying within the first half hour. It began to rain only 10 minutes in and it was strange to think that even the clouds were mourning with them.

The most horrible thing was that Harry was not only mourning for the love of his life that died for him...he was mourning for the child in Hermione's womb that was never born.

It was Poppy Pomfrey who told Harry about Hermione's pregnancy. She told Harry that he had a right to know, since he was the father of the child and all. Hermione herself and Poppy found out only a few days before the war that she was going to have a baby.

"She came to me one morning and demanded a check-up. I asked her what for and she told me there was a possibility she was expecting a child. I was shocked at first but of course I did what she asked. When the test turned out positive, she couldn't have been more overjoyed. She was so excited to have a little girl (I found out the gender of the child while checking up on her)...the only reason she didn't tell you was because she knew you'd sit her out of the Final Battle if she did. So I reluctantly—because even I didn't want her in the battlefield—I did a couple of strong spells to protect the baby from harm. I also did a glamour charm so no one could see the baby bump; specifically you...The funny thing is, they all worked (the glamour and the other spells) the whole time, right up until she died. The only reason they stopped working was because the life-giver had no more life to give." Pomfrey had told Harry a couple of days before the funeral. Harry didn't let anyone know about it—not even Ron—and he was going to keep it that way until the day he died.

He remembered the night they conceived the baby. It had been 2-3 weeks after Hermione had been tortured. She had had a nightmare about him dying at Voldemort's hand and of her being tortured at Bellatrix's. When he had when to comfort his girlfriend and reassure her he was alright, **(A/N Yeah, they were a couple throughout DH) **he ended up making love to her. It had been the first night in awhile in which he had ever been truly happy. It had also been one of the last nights he had ever been truly happy.

Since it was the first time for both of them, they both had forgotten to cast a contraption charm.

Later on during the funeral as Harry watched Hermione's casket being lowered into the ground, he suddenly realized what he would've named the baby had it been born.

_Rain_

_Rain Lily Potter_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life didn't get any better after the funeral. Ron's heart was broken after the loss of his brother and best friend, Harry practically hated himself for not being able to protect his lover and child, and Ginny never smiled anymore. But they weren't the only ones mourning. Almost everyone in the Wizarding World was mourning over someone or something.

Mr and Mrs. Weasley (and everyone else in the Weasley clan) were mourning over Charlie; Tonks was mourning over Lupin while also trying to take care of a clueless Teddy. People helped her of course, but it was still tough.

Lavender Brown had tried to comfort Ron (her boyfriend) a month or two after the war. She tried to make him happy again with her sweet smiles and quirky personality, but that was to no avail either.

Funerals were conducted on almost every other day for all of the war heroes and the innocents caught in the crossfire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4½ months had passed since the Final Battle and anyone and everyone who had died in or because of the war had gotten their funeral. Almost everyone who had lost someone during the war had finally gained closure. Some people were actually beginning to show happiness(which was essentially the point of defeating Voldemort; to create happiness and freedom for the Wizarding World after so many years of darkness).

But for many people, the dark depression that had consumed them when it was all said and done refused to let go. It also didn't help that the sun hadn't come out ever since the morning before the Final Battle. It was as if even the Earth was mourning over all the losses from the war.

Harry Potter found himself wallowing in this depression one night in front of the fire. He was in the Gryffindor common room (he knew Hermione would've wanted him and Ron back in school for their final year) exhausted from all the homework he had gotten. Sadly in school it didn't matter if he defeated the Dark Lord or not, so he got piled with work just like any other student.

He was just wallowing, dozing and thinking about his years at Hogwarts when he heard it. Humming...A sweet harmony, probably hummed by a woman. At first he thought it was Lavender or possibly Ginny, but Ginny hasn't done anything like that in weeks and Lavender was probably sleeping like a log right about now. It was past midnight after all. Then who...?

"Harry?"

_Hermione?_

**Review pretty please? *pouts***


	2. Part 2

**6 reviews? :D I'm flattered *blushes* I hope this chapter isn't a disappointment everyone. I'm not quite sure about this chapter, and I might do it over again if I get a couple negative reviews...But please, if you do flame, try to be nice about it :)**

_Recap:_

_At first he thought it was Lavender or possibly Ginny, but Ginny hasn't done anything like that in weeks and Lavender was probably sleeping like a log right about now. It was past midnight after all. Then who...?_

"_Harry?" _

_Hermione?_

Harry immediately straightened up. It just couldn't be...But his gut and heart (which always started beating faster when she was near) had already decided that it was definitely who he thought it was.

"Harry?" the voice sing-songed again, and Harry gasped. It was clearer and he almost 100% sure of whose voice it was. But it just couldn't be—

"It's me."

The voice was right behind him now. Harry was partially afraid to turn around. He didn't want to turn around just to see air or just to see another student awake with him. But he was so sure it was her voice...her voice was so distinct in his mind he'd probably be able to pick it out of a crowd.

"Turn around. I'm right here." The voice said, almost sounding amused.

Harry reluctantly turned around, and gasped at what he saw.

There was his love.

The woman who haunted his dreams every night; the woman who died for the cause; the woman who died for _him_; the woman who wasn't anything short out outstanding in his eyes.

Hermione Granger was standing in front of him with a smile on her face.

"Well hello. Finally welcoming your lover?" Hermione asked playfully.

Harry felt his jaw drop as he looked at her. It just couldn't be...she was dead! They buried her _body!_ Hermione Granger couldn't be standing behind him! It was logically impossible—

"Oh for Merlin's sakes! There's nothing logical about me being here, but here I am. Stop trying to figure out how I got here or denying it. Just be happy." Hermione whispered, her voice suddenly becoming sad and her eyes began to shine.

"I-I am...but..."Harry whispered, actually speechless.

Hermione just sighed and walked towards him. He didn't move. He just sat there, still staring in shock. When Hermione was near him, she grabbed both of his cheeks and gently pushed his head back so it lay on the arm of the chair. That way her eyes were aligned with his chin and vice versa. Her lips hovered above his for a second, before slowly closing the gap with a soft kiss. **(A/N Basically a Spider-man kiss)**

For Harry it was as if time stopped. He never imagined that they would ever share a kiss again. Hell, he never imagined her being in the same room as him ever again _period_. But there she was, her scent filling Harry's nose and her hair tickling his neck. Her lips kissing his ever-so-gently, knowing it would be driving him crazy. At least, that's what it did when she was still alive. _But she's dead...This seriously can't be happening!_

"Are you seriously still on about that?" Hermione cried suddenly, pulling away from him. He saw something fierce in her eyes, something that he rarely saw unless she was _severely _pissed off at him.

And then it clicked.

Harry quickly sat up, his eyes wide. "Are you _reading _my _thoughts?_" At this Hermione just laughed, though it didn't reach her eyes, and she simply walked over to the couch and sat down with a small huff.

"You finally notice did you? Took you long enough; I mean, you have to have had brains to defeat Voldemort but then here you are, taking at least 10 minutes to figure out I've been reading your mind." Hermione said smugly, crossing her arms.

"Umm, _you _were the brains behind everything, and you know it!" Harry cried defensively.

"Hmm, true. But still, you'd think—"

"So you're really dead then?"

Hermione was suddenly silent and Harry noticed that her eyes were shining unnaturally. _Can ghosts—or whatever she is—cry? _Harry silently asked himself as Hermione turned away from him to look at the fire. She didn't answer for the longest time, and just stared deeply into the fire as if it held the answers to all of life's secrets. It was some time before Hermione moved at all. And when she moved, it was only to scoot closer to Harry to lay her frizzy head on his chest. At first Harry tensed a little bit, but then he let himself relax when he realized that she wasn't going to go through his chest anytime soon.

_Cross out a ghost...then how is she here?_

"Harry...I can't stay for long." Hermione suddenly whispered weakly. It took Harry a couple seconds to let it sink in.

"What?"

"I can't stay for long...he only let me out to tell you a couple of things." Hermione whispered, this time sounding as if something was choking her. Harry strongly suspected that it was tears.

"He? Me?" Harry asked, confused—

Well, that was the understatement of the century.

He was more than confused. He was...

"Bewildered." Hermione whispered, sounding amused but still teary. She then idly began to play with the buttons of his nightshirt...that coupled with her amused-yet-teary voice tipped him off that she was nervous about something. About what he couldn't even begin to guess.

"Please answer my questions 'Mione."

"Okay...I can't tell you who _he_ is, so please don't ask. And as for you...I had to see you and the others again one more time. You might not believe this, but I've been watching you guys from...well, I can't tell you, but I've been watching you all and you have to stop." Hermione whispered, her voice getting alarmingly teary again.

"Stop what?" Harry asked, feigning innocence and confusion. But he knew it was no use; she probably already knew that he did know what she was talking about. If what she was saying was true, then he knew exactly what she wanted him to stop.

"_You know what_. I can't let you guys do this anymore." Hermione cried, suddenly sitting up and looking at him in the eye. He now saw the tear-stained cheeks and it confirmed what he had thought before. She had been crying.

"You guys are just hurting yourselves by hanging onto me and the others. It's not healthy for one thing, and for another as long as you're hanging on I can never really be at peace. I can't be happy where I am; knowing you're pining over me and wishing me here. Wishing I had been selfish or wishing you took the curse yourself," Harry now gaped at her. That's exactly what had been on his mind for months now. There were so many scenarios in which they both lived and had their happy ever after...or at least she lived. She had no idea how much he wished he could change the past—

"You're _so_ predictable Harry," Hermione cried exasperatedly, "Don't be shocked that I know you better more than I know myself...But that's not the point. The point is; you can't. There's no possible way to turn back time. Every Time Turner out there has been confiscated by the Ministry, and they're bound to be destroyed soon so don't even _think _about it...Darling, there's only one thing you can do that'll help us both out..._let me go..._" Hermione finished, tears gushing down her cheeks.

Harry instantly began shaking his head, his own eyes getting watery. "I-I can't Hermione. It's the only way I can keep your memory alive and your life and your imprint on this planet can't just disappear—"

"You can keep me alive...but you have to let me go. Go ahead and keep my memory alive, but you can't keep on living this way. No more depression, no more pain. It's okay to mourn, but you've already done your fair share of it. Let me—"

"Please don't ask that of me." Harry pleaded. Hermione sighed before going silent once more and returning to her position from before; her hands playing with his t-shirt with her head on his chest. It was a while before either of them spoke.

"Maybe we should just stay here Hermione...we can have little babies, grow old. Watch our grandchildren laugh and tumble in our quaint little cottage." Harry whispered in Hermione's ear, suddenly remembering the baby he could've fathered. The baby that probably would've had Harry's adventurous personality and Hermione's smarts...The baby that he lost. He felt his heart give a little pang when he remembered the little girl he would have insisted be called Rain Lilly Potter. She would have been beautiful...

"As much as I'd love to...I made my decision when I stepped in front of you Harry. I can't do all of that. I can't be the mother of your children or help spoil your grandchildren. You're going to have to find another woman to do that for you." Hermione whispered with a fake smile.

Harry twisted and looked into Hermione's eyes, and was baffled by the pure look of _longing _in Hermione's eyes...

It was then Harry had an epiphany.

Harry realized that there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted to be his _everything _so much...but because of the move that saved his life and made her lose hers, she obviously couldn't. She couldn't be his wife, the mother of his children, the grandmother of her spoiled grandchildren.

She was truly gone, and there was nothing he could do about it, no matter how much he wanted to.

But as Harry sat with a very corporeal Hermione snuggling against him, he couldn't help but wish...wish this and everything from the past month had all been a dream. Maybe in a few moments he was going to wake up in a cold tent with Hermione shaking him, telling him it was his turn to watch out for Snatchers and Death Eaters.

"I want you to know though...the baby girl that passed with me...well, she's with me in—where I'm going to after this." Hermione suddenly whispered. She whispered so low that Harry almost believed that she didn't want him to hear her.

But he did and he was gaping.

"A girl?"

"Yeah. Her name is Rain, just like you wanted. She can't wait to meet you, but I told her it might be awhile because her father was going to live out the rest of his life. She was upset but she understood. She's so smart." Hermione whispered with a watery smile. Harry couldn't help but give Hermione a small, pained smile back.

As he sat there with Hermione in his arms while silence consumed the room, he couldn't help but think that he couldn't survive losing her again...

He refused to let this go. He didn't want to let this go. She just couldn't leave him...not _again_.

That was the last thing he thought before his world was flipped once more.

"Harry!"Hermione cried urgently, sitting up quickly. It was so sudden that she actually almost fell to the ground.

"What is it?" Harry asked in alarm.

"I-I...I can't hear your thoughts anymore. I'm going to be leaving soon." Hermione whispered, tears gushing down her cheeks.

"What? No! Please... stay..." Harry cried back almost sternly, grabbing her arms forcefully. He wasn't going to let her go...she wasn't going to leave! She couldn't, not when she had just come back to him.

"I can't! I'm _so _sorry Harry...But please...please promise me something." Hermione sobbed, grabbing his face in her hands.

"What? Anything, just please don't go." Harry whispered desperately, tears gushing down his own cheeks and sternness gone. Vaguely he realized that he has never been this emotional over anything before, even over Sirius' death, but he honestly didn't care. He _needed _her back in his arms. And if tears were going to keep her here, then so be it. He's cry her a river if he had to.

"I can't promise to stay...But please, promise me something before I leave. I beg you." Hermione pleaded, looking into his eyes. Her eyes were so pleading that Harry had to nod—albeit reluctantly.

"I need you to stay strong. _Fight _Harry. I know it's tough to lose people you love, but you can't do this to yourself. Not for me or for Rain. You don't have to forget us, nor do you have to get over us. Just please, _please, _attempt to live your life. You only have one life, so live it well. If that means you unmarried all of your life, then fine. If that means you have to visit my grave every couple of days, so be it. Just please live on. Because by living your life Harry, you're not only living for you, but for us as well. You're living for the little girl in my womb that never even got to breathe. You're living for the 17 yr old book-worm with frizzy hair that wanted to change the world but never got to. Please..." Hermione whispered, tears still running down her face but her voice still strong.

Harry couldn't argue with that, no matter how much he just wanted to be with her forever. No matter how much he wanted to just curl up and die so he could be with her and his child, he had to live...He had no choice. He had to make sure the world remembers his love.

Hermione smiled slightly and brushed her hand gently across Harry's cheek. She was still crying, but her tears were slowing down and she looked...proud. Proud of _him_. Harry couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride in his heart at that thought.

"I thought you couldn't hear my thoughts?" Harry suddenly whispered, wondering how she figured out his resolve so quickly. He didn't even realize that he was grasping Hermione as if he was in the middle of the ocean and Hermione was his only life raft.

"I can't...I could tell by the determination in your eyes that you've decided to do the right thing." Hermione said, running her hands though his raven-coloured hair. Harry just slightly smiled, and gave her a small, yet very firm, kiss.

But they weren't meant to stay like that, because nobody belongs in a dream world, no matter how addicting it sounds.

"Harry, I need you to do me another favour." Hermione whispered, suddenly pulling away from the kiss. Harry looked at her, and was instantly confused because he saw that an overwhelming sadness had replaced her pride in him.

"What—"

"Don't say anything love...It's time for me to go...It's time for you to wake up." Hermione whispered, placing a finger on his lips. Harry's eyes widened at her words. He felt as if Hermione had grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the heart with it...but even he had to admit the knife would've hurt far less.

"What do you mean wake up? You mean—this has all been a dream? A _lie? _A figment of my imagination?" Harry asked with a hysterical bitterness, not quite believing it. But if he really thought about it, it was blatantly obvious.

She obviously wasn't a ghost, a-and no one had interrupted them ever since they started talking and kissing (which was at least an hour ago), and she was _dead_. _Gone!_ And so was his child. Of course it had always been a dream. What else could it have been? _How could I have been so _stupid_?_

"No! This has not been a lie! I was able to reach you through your dreams, because there was no other way I could. Now please, don't be upset with yourself or with me. You have to go back to the world of the living sometime." Hermione whispered, the sadness in her eyes growing stronger.

"But—I—" Harry cried, trying to pull away from Hermione, something he never thought he'd ever do, with her alive or not.

"I love you Harry." Was the last thing Harry heard from Hermione and chocolate brown orbs were the last thing he saw before everything around him vanished. Hermione, the fire, the Gryffindor Common Room, the windows that showed the beautiful stars..._everything_. Harry didn't cry though, even though he felt tears wet his eyes. He was too numb to let himself cry.

Harry was now surrounded by darkness, not a light in sight. It scared him, but it also enthralled him, something the dark has never done before. He felt as if he was falling through a black tunnel with no bottom. He felt like he was falling and falling with nothing to catch him. It almost felt like flying on his Firebolt.

He liked this tunnel, because in here he felt like all of his emotions were all on hold, and all there really was was the darkness and the tunnel. Nothing more, nothing less. He was just _being..._And it felt pretty nice actually.

But just as he began to think that the tunnel would keep him captive forever, he looked down and saw light beneath him...and he was falling towards it.

Bright and brighter everything became until suddenly—

"Hey! He's waking up!"

...

**TBC**

**I'll be posting the last part soon :)**

**Review please *pouts and gives puppy dog eyes***


	3. The End or Part 3

**Last instalment! I've hoped you guys have enjoyed this story!**

**(P.S. Even though this is the last instalment, it doesn't hurt me if you leave a review. It could be about anything: how totally awesome it was, how much it sucked, suggestions, ravings on how much I rock ;D lol Just kiddin', just kiddin')**

_20 years later..._

Harry Potter lay in his bed, his breathing ragged. He was sweating profusely, his heart was beating irregularly, and he had pain in his upper chest. All the doing of a rare Wizard virus that Harry had just happened to catch. It was ironic really, since he has survived the "darkest wizard of all time" more than once, fought in a wizard war, lost the love of his life, and lost a lot more people close to him, yet here he was; the one thing that would finally defeat him was a silly wizard virus at 37 yrs old.

As Harry lay in his bed that night, surrounded by his hallucinogenic hell, he was suddenly so sure of something that he would bet on his life (even though that didn't mean much now) that it was true:

The end was near for him.

He knew it, the Medi-Witch knew it, his friends knew it...hell, the whole _Wizarding World _knew it (thanks to the newest gossip at the _Daily Prophet_, Jane Skeeter, daughter of Rita Skeeter)!

As he waited patiently in his bed for the virus to finally take him, he began to go through his many memories…More specifically; his years spent at Hogwarts and the love he was surrounded with for such a long time.

But most of all, he remembered the love of his life.

Before his life ended, he was trying to remember every little detail about her; her looks, her personality, her nature..._everything_.

He was also remembering the times he had spent with her and his other best friend, Ronald Weasley (who was happily married to Lavender Brown with 4 children as of late).

He remembered both the good and the bad of his not-so-innocent school years. Remembering the pain, the laughter, the sorrow...the love. The love between him and his best friend Hermione Granger that took them at least 5 years of knowing each other to admit. _5 years that were wasted on glances full of longing and hopeful touches. 5 years _wasted_!_ Harry thought, immensely regretting not telling her earlier. He could've taken her to the Yule Ball in 4th year; he could've taken her to Hogsmede in 3rd.

_So many missed opportunities..._But Harry knew that if he kept thinking like this he'd be wasting the precious time he had left on Earth.

So to distract himself he grabbed the photo-book on his bedside table (not without struggle of course), something that Ron had forgotten to put back during his last visit.

He gently touched the worn leather cover, remembering the countless of times he had looked through these pages, trying to remember a time that he was happy. Most of the time he did.

"Let's see what you hold inside." Harry croaked, opening the book. It has been a long time since he has flipped through these pages, mainly because he has been too weak to do so. That, and he has found himself entertained (before he got sick) for the past few years by being the Uncle to the newest children in the Weasley family (Blaise Zabini's and Ginny Weasley's little twins); Herenia Harriet Zabini and Harold Herman Zabini.

Of course, Blaise didn't like Harry playing with his children for a long time...until he realized that there was a good chance that Harry might not ever be a father, and this was his only chance to leave a non-heroic imprint on the world. To be two 3 yr olds' favourite Uncle.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he looked upon the first page and looked straight into the eyes of his parents, Lily and James Potter. They were dancing and happy, with a baby Harry in their arms. Every once in awhile the picture Lily and James would wave at the camera and kiss Harry's forehead lovingly.

When Sirius was alive, he had told him that that picture was taken the day they finally found the perfect house at Godric's Hollow. That's why they were so happy.

"_They had been looking for the best house they could find for such a long time. It took them at least 5 houses and half a year before they found the house in Godric's Hollow. It was such a nice house Harry! It would've been the perfect place to grow up in. But then...well, you know."_ Sirius had happily told Harry one afternoon when they were eating lunch at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry just sighed at the thought of Sirius and flipped the page. Three youthful faces greeted him with innocent smiles. Harry slightly smiled at the picture of him, Hermione and Ron from their first year. They looked happy and carefree, though there was a little sadness in each of their eyes at the thought of leaving Hogwarts and friends. Occasionally the images of him and his friends hugged each other sadly. And once or twice the image of Harry lifted his hand and wiped away the occasional tear from the image of Hermione. Harry smiled sadly at the three before turning the page again.

This time it was the image of a much older Hermione and Harry outside the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmede weekend. They looked like they were around 13, maybe 14. It was almost winter, because only a thin layer of snow surrounded and fell around them. That and Harry was wearing a heavy sweater while Hermione was wearing Harry's light jacket over her own sweater (she had forgotten her jacket at school and only remembered when they had left the castle). Hermione had her arm slung casually over Harry's shoulder and they both were grinning happily at the camera. Every once in awhile the image of Harry would suddenly grab Hermione and lift her up, earning a soundless squeal from Hermione. She'd twist and laugh for a couple seconds while in his arms, then he'd let her go and they'd be back in the position they used to be in.

Harry smiled at the memory. In real life, he actually didn't pick her up, but imagine Hermione and Harry's surprise and embarrassment when they looked at the picture later on.

Harry then took the picture out of the scrapbook and turned it in his hand to see the writing on the back. Yes, there was writing on the back. More specifically, Hermione's neat scrawl was on the back of the picture.

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**We as a Trio may fight and get angry with each other occasionally...and there are times where we can't even **_**stand **_**each other...but know that no matter what happens, I'm always ready to catch you when you fall and help you up when you trip. Everyone needs someone to lean on, so know that no matter what you can always lean on me.**_

_**Love, Hermione**_

Harry didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were beginning to fall. _Yep, this photo's from 4__th__ year. _He thought distractedly as he gently traced the letters of Hermione's name with his pallid fingertips. It was taken when he and Hermione decided to go to Hogsmede one weekend, just the two of them. It was when Ron and Harry were fighting, and were not on talking terms. Hermione was basically caught up in the middle at the time and she hated it but she still tried to spend time with both of them. In the picture it was obviously Harry's turn.

Harry smiled at the memories of that day: Hermione and he had had a blast in Hogsmede, buying lots of candy and butterbeer (and of course stopping at the nearest bookstore for almost an hour). They just hung out and acted like children that day. They both tried and mostly succeeded in forgetting about the Tournament and Rita Skeeter and Ron and Harry's fight.

Harry wiped another tear that fell unwittingly as he remembered them chatting happily and smoothly in the Three Broomsticks and he remembered a detail he hadn't in a long time (something he honestly hadn't remembered in at least 2 or 3 years): While they sat there talking and laughing that day, Hermione accidently let it slip that she liked hanging out with Harry more than Ron. She then proceeded to confess that it was so awkward when Ron and Hermione hung out, but with Harry...things flowed so much easier.

The teenage Harry had thought nothing of it at the time (except he did feel a sense of pride that he shrugged off quickly), but now the older Harry realized that it made all the difference in the world. It was only one of the very few instances he got—in which she had hinted that she felt more for him then in a friendly way.

The first time was when she kissed him on the cheek after he won a game for the Gryffindor team against Slytherin in 3rd year. Another instance was when she forced him to slow dance with her outside near the lake a day before the Yule ball so she was "practiced" enough to dance with Viktor (she only confessed to him later on when they got together that her real intention was just to be able to feel him hold her). The last instance was when she kissed him gently on the lips in the early months of 5th year.

The next day after that instance he cornered her and told her of his love for her.

The next day after that, they were together officially as a couple, not really shocking the school at all.

Harry smiled absentmindedly as he remembered the girly squeal (something that she was terribly embarrassed of afterwards) that emitted from her and the fiery kiss afterwards when he told her that he cared for her in a less friendly way and in a more...loving way.

He flipped the page of the scrapbook, and met with many faces, most of who were gone by now and some that were friendly now just as they were then.

_The Order of the Phoenix from when my parents were alive and The Order of Phoenix from when Sirius and Dumbledore were alive...from when Hermione was alive as well..._

Harry looked longingly and lovingly at the faces in both pictures, trying to capture and remember every face, every gesture the magical pictures made. His parents were smiling happily at him; the younger Sirius and the older (and late) Sirius grinned mischievously at the camera; both the young and old (and late) Lupin looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders; Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye and a smile that warmed the coldest heart; Mr and Mrs Weasley smiled and waved; Ron and Ginny grinned at the camera one second and then were joking around the next; Fred and George were holding bunny ears overtop of McGonagall's and Harry's heads; and finally Hermione, who looked at the camera with a sincere smile before returning to the book that sat loyally on her lap.

_That represents Herm—_her_ so much. _Harry thought, fighting back tears before turning the page again.

The rest of the book passed in a blur, and before he knew it he was towards the end of the book. Every photo had sentiment of course, but none of the next photos mattered wholly and completely to Harry that the first 3 pages had. But he had to admit that he was already beginning to miss the faces he had just passed while going through the book: the youthful faces, the smiling faces, the mischievous faces...so many faces belonging to so many important people in his life. He actually almost regretted that he was going to be leaving most of them behind soon.

He had finally made it to the last two pages of the book. The first photo he saw was of him and his friends and his friends' children, taken only a couple of months ago. When Harry was still healthy (for the most part; he was just beginning to come down with the first stages of the virus) and he and his friends decided to have a "friendly reunion".

In the photo was Harry, Ron and Lavender and their four children (Felicity, Ann, Hermione and Charlie), Draco and Luna with her very pregnant belly (it took Draco and Luna quite awhile to get pregnant, and it was actually only 2 days after this picture was taken that Luna gave birth to Elizabeth-Morgana Malfoy), Ginny and Blaise with their 2 yr old twins (at the time they were 2), and finally Neville and Hannah with their little dog Yappie (they decided not to have children in the end).

They were all grinning at the camera, and it was obvious that they were all enjoying themselves. Even Harry was at the time, smiling for the first time in awhile with his arm slung around Ron's shoulders. It was a happy day and it was a bloody pain to go back to everyday life afterwards.

Harry smiled sadly at the photo and tried to block out the thought that these were the people he was leaving behind, the most important people in the world to him (except for Draco and Blaise, who weren't really friends but weren't exactly enemies anymore either). He almost didn't want to leave...

That was, until he flipped the last page and he saw the 17 yr old face of the love of his life grinning up at him. He watched dazedly as picture-Hermione smile lazily at him and blew him a kiss. Her honey-brown eyes were twinkling with happiness, and he understood why.

It was the first day of spring when the picture was taken and Harry and Hermione decided to spend a couple of hours by themselves to just relax and love each other. The Final Battle was fast approaching and they didn't know what the future could hold. The two just needed that last afternoon together, to love each other, to talk...Just in case one of them didn't make it (but of course they didn't think or talk about that at all).

And they honestly did need it.

That afternoon was spent in a loved-filled haze (with a tiny bit of love-making of course) with smiles, laughter, fun and of course their love for one another.

When they returned later on, it was the hardest thing that they both had ever had to do. Hermione had to fight against tears and Harry had to fight against the little voice in his head that told him to run away with her, away from all of the pain and suffering.

But he wasn't selfish like that, and Hermione understood (he didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse). He knew though that if Hermione had asked, he would willingly run away with her (but he also knew she wasn't selfish either...something that _was_ a curse).

_And now she's gone..._Harry thought, fighting against tears.

Then suddenly, he was 17 again, and he was waking up from the dream that felt so real at the time...the dream in which Hermione was with him again in the Gryffindor common room, and...She was there like she should've been in the end...but then she was gone...

"_Hey! He's waking up!"_

_A 17 yr old Harry sat up instantly, looking around as if the devil himself was chasing him. He only stopped looking crazily around the room when he realized where he was and what was happening. He was in the Gryffindor Common Room, with 5 friends surrounding him: Neville, Ginny, Ron, Dean, and Seamus. They looked insanely worried, and for a second Harry was taken aback at the looks on their faces. Intensely worried, but also...sad. Grieving._

"_W-what's g-g-going on?" Harry asked finally to break the silence that was threatening to turn awkward._

"_You were dreaming mate...about Hermione. You were screaming her name and convulsing on the couch." Ron whispered, sounding as if he was choking on something._

_Harry knew that feeling._

"_I-I...she was here! I-I swear, s-she w-w-was..." Harry trailed off, looking around the Common Room as if searching for someone. The five knew who he was looking for and it hurt them all the more._

"_She isn't here...she's gone Harry. She is and always will be. She died for you, and isn't coming back." Neville whispered sadly, looking at Harry almost with pity._

"_B-b-b-but..." Harry whispered, shaking his head. It seemed so real. It honestly felt as if she was with him again. Hell, he could still smell her perfume in his nostrils and he could still feel the cotton of her shirt on his fingertips..._

"_I-I...I'll be right back..." Harry whispered, suddenly jumping off the couch onto his feet and racing out of the Common Room, ignoring the calls from his concerned friends that followed him out._

Hermione never did come back again after that.

But then everything changed for Harry. He decided that Hermione was right, even if she was only a dream. He needed to live for her—and, if she was telling the truth and her spirit had somehow found her way to him through his dreams, then he had to live for the child that was never born as well.

He was done dying while he was still alive.

It was time to live.

_Well I've lived, and I'm ready to come back to you my love. _Harry thought, raising his hand and touching picture-Hermione's smiling lips.

"Then come to me."

Harry looked up and smiled broadly when he saw her for the first time after 20 years of just seeing memories and pictures. She was just as beautiful as she was the last night he saw her, and she had a surprise in her arms. A little baby girl with brown hair and green eyes looked at him curiously with her thumb in her mouth. It took a couple seconds, but finally a small smile of recognition formed on the baby's mouth.

"This is Rain. She and I have been waiting a long time for you to come home Mr. Potter. There are many people just _dying_ to see you up there." Hermione whispered lovingly, smiling mischievously because of her bad pun.

"D-does it hurt?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"No. In fact, it feels _heavenly_. You're feeling better already aren't you?"

It was true. Ever since he had looked at her he had felt lighter and happier than he had in years. He felt young and he felt...oddly _alive_. Which was funny since he knew he was dying.

"It's time to come with me towards the light Harry. Leave your body behind, grab my hand and come with me..." Hermione said, holding out her hand.

And that's exactly what Harry did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Ronald and Ginny Weasley found their best friend Harry Potter dead in his bedroom. He had passed at 37 in his sleep by a wizard virus with a photo album on his lap.

He was found with a smile on his face and a picture of the love of his life clutched in his hand.

**The End**

**I hope you've enjoyed this story :)**


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